Packing list envelope with pull tab and method for forming the envelope

ABSTRACT

An envelope including: a front sheet and a back sheet coextensive and overlapping the front sheet; a pull tab formed in the front sheet between lines of weakness in the front sheet, wherein the pull tab includes a front tongue having an edge defined by a line of weakness in the front sheet and extending between the lines of weakness; heat seals between the front and back sheet proximate to the perimeter of the envelope; a release sheet on adhesive coated side of the front sheet, wherein the adhesive coated side is opposite to a side of the back sheet facing the front sheet, and a slit through the release sheet and the back sheet along a line parallel to an edge of the envelope.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to envelopes which attach to a surface of a package and particularly relates to envelopes for packing lists having an adhesive coated side to adhere to a package and an opposite side which may be transparent to allow viewing of the contents of the envelope. The opposite side of the envelope may be only partially transparent or alternatively entirely translucent or opaque.

Envelopes for packing typically are formed by a pair of sheets sealed together along the edges of the envelope. A slit in a back sheet allows the packing list to be inserted into the envelope. The back sheet is coated with an adhesive to adhere to a package and the adhesive is covered by a release liner sheet until the envelope is to be sealed to a package. The adhesive on the envelope is typically strong to prevent removal of the envelope from the package. These conventional envelopes reliably deliver packing lists and other documents associated with a package.

After the package reaches its destination, the envelope is opened by tearing the front sheet while the envelope remains attached to the package. Tearing the front sheet can be difficult and may result in tearing of the packing list inside of the envelope. There is a long felt need for an envelope that adheres to a package, is easily opened, and is not prone to tear the contents of the envelope.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A pull tab has been conceived for a packing list envelope. The pull tab is in the front sheet of the envelope and enables easy removal of the packing list. The pull tab is formed between parallel lines of weakness in the front sheet and extending along one side of the envelope. A front tongue of the pull tab is also attached to the front sheet by a line of weakness. The lines of weakness keep the front tongue and the rest of the pull tab attached to the front sheet, until the envelope is opened. The lines of weakness are easily broken by user pulling on the pull tab.

The inventive envelope disclosed here may include: An envelope including: a front sheet and a back sheet coextensive and overlapping the front sheet; a pull tab formed in the front sheet between lines of weakness in the front sheet, wherein the pull tab includes a front tongue having an edge defined by a line of weakness in the front sheet and extending between the lines of weakness; heat seals between the front and back sheet proximate to the perimeter of the envelope; a release sheet on adhesive coated side of the front sheet, wherein the adhesive coated side is opposite to a side of the back sheet facing the front sheet, and a slit through the release sheet and the back sheet along a line parallel to an edge of the envelope.

In another embodiment the inventive envelope may includes: a front sheet and a back sheet coextensive and overlapping the front sheet; a pull tab formed in the front sheet between parallel lines of weakness in the front sheet, wherein the pull tab includes a strip defined by the parallel lines and a front tongue on the strip, and wherein the strip has a width of no more than one inch and the front tongue includes an edge defined by a line of weakness in the front sheet and extending between the parallel lines of weakness; heat seals between the front and back sheet proximate edges of the envelope; a release sheet on adhesive coated side of the back sheet, wherein the adhesive coated side is opposite to a side of the back sheet facing the front sheet, and a slit through the release sheet and the back sheet along a line parallel to one of the edges of the envelope opposite to one the edges of the envelope proximate to the pull tab.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of an envelope for a pack list having a pull tab.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the envelope shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows the envelope of FIG. 1 in cross section along line 3-3.

FIG. 4 is an enlarge view of the pull tab showing the tab partially removed and the envelope attached to a package.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a top view of an envelope 10 having a pull tab 12 on the front sheet 14 of the envelope. FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the envelope 10 showing a back sheet 16 coated with an adhesive 16. FIG. 3 shows the envelope in cross section along line 3-3 in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 shows the envelope 10 attached to a package 15 and opened by the peeled back pull tab.

The pull tab 12 may be a narrow strip 17 between parallel lines 18 of weakness in the front sheet. The lines of weakness 18 may be formed by perforations or a score line cut into the front sheet along each of the parallel lines 18. The narrow strip 17 may be narrow, such as a quarter to an inch. The width of the strip 17 should be sufficient to ensure that the strip does not break when the pull tab is pulled. The pair of parallel lines 18 may extend the width (W) of the envelope. The narrow strip 17 of the pull tab is positioned proximate and parallel to a heat seal line 20 and proximate an edge 22 and sealing together the front and back sheets. Proximate to an edge is within one quarter to one-half of an inch of the edge. The narrow strip may be parallel to an edge 22 of the envelope. The narrow strip is inward of the nearest heat seal line.

The envelope may be formed by the front sheet 14 and a back sheet 16. The sheets overlap and are coextensive. Each sheet 14, 16 may be a thin-film of plastic such as polyethylene film having a thickness of 2 to 3 thousandths of an inch (mils) or 0.05 to 0.08 millimeters. The front sheet may be transparent and include an area 24 for printing, such as “Packing List Enclosed.” The front sheet may be only partially transparent, such as having only a window to view the contents of the envelope. The front sheet may also be entirely translucent or opaque to protect the confidentiality of the contents of the envelope. The back sheet may be opaque, such as white, but may be transparent or translucent.

The front and back sheets 14, 16 are sealed together by heat seals along lines 20 on the overlapping sheets. The heat seal lines 20 are arranged near the edges 22 of the envelope. The heat seal lines 20 may form a continuous seal around the envelope. The heat seal lines 20 may be formed by applying heat or pressure to the front and back sheets to weld the sheets together. The heat seal lines 20 may be alternatively formed as lines of adhesive seals applied along lines 20 proximate the perimeter of the envelope and between the sheets. The heat seal lines 20 of may form permanent attachments that prevent the front and back sheets from separating.

The pull tab includes a front tongue 26 having a shaped edge 28, may be arcuate, semi-circular, triangular, straight or semi-elliptical. The shaped edge extends between the pair of parallel lines 18 of weakness. The front tongue may be proximate, e.g., within 0.25 to 0.5 inch (6 to 13 millimeters), of a heat seal line perpendicular to the parallel lines.

The shaped edge 28 of the front tongue may be formed by a line of weakness, e.g., a perforated line or scored line. The line of weakness at the edge 28 maintains an attachment between the front tongue to the front sheet until the pull tab is pulled to open the envelope.

When a user pulls on or picks at the front tongue 26, the shaped edge 28 separates from the front sheet along the edge and allows the front tongue to be pulled. Pulling the front tongue 26 causes the pull tab to peel from the font sheet along the parallel lines 18. The peeling tears the front sheet along the shaped edge 28 and the parallel lines 18 of weaknesses. The pull tab separates along the parallel lines until reaching a heat seal line 20, and an end of the strip opposite to the front tongue.

Pulling the pull tab from the front sheet creates an opening to the interior of the envelope. The opening is formed by the separation of the strip 17 of the pull tab from the front sheet. The opening allows materials 30, such as a packing list, to be removed from the envelope.

The materials 30 in an envelope are not inserted through the opening formed by the pull tab. The opening is sealed until the pull tab is peeled from the front sheet. The materials 30 are inserted into the envelope through a slit 32 in the back sheet of the envelope. The slit is a straight line cut through the back sheet and through a release liner sheet 34 that adheres to the back sheet. The slit 32 may be parallel to an edge 22 of the envelope and parallel to the pull tab. The slit may be proximate an edge that is opposite to the parallel edge nearest the pull tab. Positioning the slit and pull tab on opposite sides of the envelope reduces the risk that inserting the materials into the envelope will separate the strip of the pull tab, or that pulling on the pull tab will cause the envelope to peel away from the package 15 to which the envelope is attached.

The release liner sheet 34 may be a plastic or paper web that adheres to an adhesive layer 38 on a surface of the back sheet. The release liner sheet is coextensive with and covers the entire back sheet. The release liner sheet remains on the back sheet until the envelope is to be applied to a surface of the package 15. The release liner peels away from the back sheet to expose the adhesive layer 38. The back sheet is pressed to the surface of the package and the adhesive layer 38 adheres the envelope to the package. The adhesion of the back sheet to the package seals the envelope by preventing access to the slit in the back sheet.

An advantage of the pull tab is that it is easy to operate and reliably forms a relatively uniform opening in the envelope. Another advantage is that the pull tab is inexpensive because it can be formed in the front sheet without adding components or additional adhesives to the envelope.

While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiment, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An envelope comprising: a front sheet and a back sheet coextensive and overlapping the front sheet; a pull tab formed in the front sheet between lines of weakness in the front sheet, wherein the pull tab includes a front tongue having an edge defined by a line of weakness in the front sheet and extending between the lines of weakness; seal lines between the front and back sheet and proximate to the perimeter of the envelope; a release sheet on adhesive coated side of the back sheet, wherein the adhesive coated side is opposite to a side of the back sheet facing the front sheet, and a slit through the release sheet and the back sheet.
 2. The envelope of claim 1 wherein the front sheet is plastic and the lines of weakness are each a line of perforations in the front sheet.
 3. The envelope of claim 1 wherein the lines of weakness are parallel.
 4. The envelope of claim 1 wherein the pull tab includes a strip between the lines of weakness, and the strip extends from the front tongue to one of the seal lines.
 5. The envelope of claim 1 wherein the seal lines are continuous lines formed by heat seals between the front and back sheet.
 6. The envelope of claim 1 wherein the lines of weakness are proximate a first edge of the envelope and the slit is proximate an opposite edge of the envelope.
 7. The envelope of claim 1 wherein the lines of weakness are parallel and separated by no more than an inch.
 8. The envelope of claim 1 wherein the front tongue is shaped as one of a semi-circle, semi-elliptical and triangular.
 9. The envelope of claim 1 wherein the line of weakness at the edge of the front tongue is formed by perforations in the front sheet.
 10. An envelope comprising: a front sheet and a back sheet coextensive and overlapping the front sheet; a pull tab formed in the front sheet between parallel lines of weakness in the front sheet, wherein the pull tab includes a strip defined by the parallel lines and a front tongue on the strip, and wherein the strip has a width of no more than one inch and the front tongue includes an edge defined by a line of weakness in the front sheet and extending between the parallel lines of weakness; seals between the front and back sheet proximate edges of the envelope; a release sheet on adhesive coated side of the back sheet, wherein the adhesive coated side is opposite to a side of the back sheet facing the front sheet, and a slit through the release sheet and the back sheet along a line parallel to one of the edges of the envelope opposite to one the edges of the envelope proximate to the pull tab.
 11. The envelope of claim 10 lines of weakness are each a line of perforations in the front sheet.
 12. The envelope of claim 10 wherein the strip extends from the front tongue to one of the seals.
 13. The envelope of claim 10 wherein the seals are continuous strips of heat seals between the front and back sheet.
 14. The envelope of claim 10 wherein the lines of weakness are parallel and separated by no more than one-quarter of an inch.
 15. The envelope of claim 10 wherein the front tongue is shaped as one of a semi-circle, semi-elliptical and triangular.
 16. The envelope of claim 10 wherein the line of weakness at the edge of the front tongue is formed by perforations in the front sheet. 